Rotating ratchet



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PORTER S. MORGAN, F NORWALK, CONNEOTICUT.

ROTATING RAT-CHEZ?.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed April 26, 1918. Serial No. 230,932.

"To all whom t 'may concern Be it known that l, PORTER S. MORGAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Norwalk, in the countyof Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Rotating Ratchet-s, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ratchets and has for its object the provision ofa ratchet that has no lost motion, that does not disengage itself fromthe ratchet wheel or bar even when reversed; that is quiet; that israpid and positive; that is much stronger than the present ratchets.

The several objects stated above and others that will appear are now tobe descl'ibed and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification.

Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding partsthroughout the several views of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of myinvention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the gear train operating the ratchetand Fig. 3 is a section of my reversing mechanism.

Referring particularly to F ig. 1 of the drawings, numeral 1 representsa ratchet wheel secured to the shaft 2 and having gear shaped teeth 3adapted to mesh with 'the single helical thread rotary ratchet a. Thisrotary ratchet is secured to the shaft 5 and the shaft is journaled inthe frame 6 which straddles the ratchet wheel 1 and is centered by theshaft 2. Secured to shaft 5 is a collar 6a to which is secured one endof a helical spring 7, the other end of which is secured to a miter gear8 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 5. Projecting from the frame 6are two arms 9 and 10 in which is journaled the shaft 11 carryingsecured to it the gear wheel 12 which meshes with the ratchet wheel 1.Arm has a right angle projecting arm 13 (see Fig. 2) which serves as ajournal support for the miter gear 111 and the spur gear 15, bothsecured to a shaft. Shaft 11 carries a gear 16 which meshes with gear15.

The frame 6 is adapted to oscillate through the angle A, B, C by therotation of the crank 16a and the connecting rod 17 which is pinconnected at 18 to the frame 6.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The spring 7 is given aninitial torsional twist in the direction of the arrow 19 which will givethe ratchet 4 a tendency to rotate in the same direction; now if thecrank is turning as shown, the frame G will be moving in the directionof the arrow 20. As the frame moves it relieves the pressure of theratchet teeth against the wheel teeth and permits the spring' to rotatethe ratchet which will continue as the frame moves forward; the initialspring torsion being maintained by the gear train 12, 16, 15, 111 and 8through the ratchet wheel 1 remaining stationary. When the frame 6starts to move from C to A the spring torsion prevents the ratchet fromrotating and the ratchet wheel is moved in the direction of the arrow21.

As the operating direction of the ratchet is determined by the directionof the springs initial torsional twist, Fig. 3 illustrates how thisfeature may be utilized to obtain either direction at will. The shaft 5to which the ratchet is secured has a longitudinal slot 22. The collar6a to which the spring 7 is attached has a sleeve extension 23 and ahelical slot 24: through which a pin 25 passes, being held in theshifting collar 26. The miter gear 8 is loosely mounted on the sleeve 23and is secured to the free end of the spring 7 at 27. In operating thisreversing mechanism, the collar 26 is slid along the sleeve 23 by anywell known means and in moving the pin from one end of the slot 22 tothe other the proper initial directional twist is given the spring todetermine the direction of free rotation of the ratchet.

As the spring keeps the operating faces of the teeth always in contactno backlash will occur when the frame reverses its direction and as theratchet can be made very light in weight it will operate at high speeds.Also as there may be several teeth in operation great strength isassured. In operating with a variable crank throw it will move theratchet wheel through the smallest possible angle as the rotation of theratchet correspends to a micrometer movement.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention so that anyone skilled in theart may make and construct the same and without limiting myself to anyof the details of construction shown, I claim:

1. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed recipe rocatory ratchet member inmesh therewith, a spring under initial tension for moving the ratchetmember and means connected to the ratchet wheel for maintaining the saidinitial tension.

2. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed reciprocatory rotatable ratchetmember in mesh therewith, a spring under initial tension for rotatingthe ratchet member and means connected to the ratchet wheel formaintaining the said initial tension.

3. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed reciprocatory rotatable ratchetmember in mesh therewith, a spring under initial torsion for rotatingthe ratchet member and means connected to the ratchet wheel formaintaining the said initial torsion.

4. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed reciprocatory ratchet member inmesh therewith, a spring under initial tension for moving the ratchetmember and means connected to the ratchet wheel for maintaining the saidinitial `tension in either-direction.

5. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed recipi rocatoryv rotatable ratchetmember in mesh therewith, a spring under initial tension for rotatingthe ratchet member and means connected to the ratchet wheel formaintaining the said initial tension in either direction.

6. A ratchet wheel, a helical toothed reciprocatory member in meshtherewith, a spring under initial tension for moving the ratchet memberand means connected to the ratchet wheel Jfor maintaining the saidinitial tension.

Signed at New York city, in the county oi New York and State of New Yorkthis 7th day of March, A. D. 1918.

PORTER S. MORGAN.

Witnesses MABEL M. GLAssnY, HAROLD T. Knorr.

